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Bass player Björn Boehm – Circle of Silence

Interview by Anders Sandvall

Thanks to Tom Hack for setting up the interview.
Thanks to Massacre Records for providing the promo pics.

Once again it’s time to check out what’s happening in the Circle of Silence camp. I and bass player Björn Boehm hooked up to have a chat about what’s happened since the last time we spoke. The brand new album is titled THE RISE OF THE RESISTANCE and is jammed with brilliant heavy metal music. Our chat was of course about the new album, the past and present of the band, and what lies ahead for Circle Of Silence in 2014. If you’re into heavy metal music then be sure to check out the German act Circle Of Silence.

Hi Björn how are you today? Ready to take on metal-rules.com once again I hope?

THE RISE OF RESISTANCE is the name of the brand new Circle Of Silence album how long did it take to write and record the album?

We started the songwriting for the current album straight after the release of “The Blackened Halo” so I think it took us nearly 2 years to compose and record everything.

Who writes the material? What are the lyrics about and where do you find the inspiration to write lyric?

Well, this time the complete music is written by Christian (Guitar) an me (Björn – Bass). In addition I was responsible for all the lyrics on “The Rise Of Resistance”. It was a tough experience for me to write lyrics and melodies for a whole album all alone for the first time. The lyrics are mainly about the “resistance” theme but there are also some fictional stories like in “One Moment Of Hate”.

On the last album you built some of the lyrics around books, is that something you have done this time too?

Yes this time I wrote also some lyrics around books but I got also a lot of inspiration from the dark tower graphic novel and some batman comics.

What has the band been up to in between the release of THE BLACKENED HALO from 2011 and the new opus?

We played some festival and club shows here in south and middle of Germany. Unfortunately we weren’t able to do a complete Germany or Europe tour but maybe one day we will make it possible.

Do you think that the band have gone through any musical development if you compare the new album to the previous one? If so in what way?

In my opinion the music on “The Rise Of Resistance” is much more consistent than on “The Blackened Halo”. I think we have developed in a way that the songs are more connected to each other than ever before. The songwriting in general has also improved. Many songs sound more professional than on the previous album.

The band put out a album trailer on youtube which included shorter sneak previews of the songs what did the fans think of the songs?

We received very positive feedback and there is still no “dislike” on the video.

Where does the title THE RISE OF RESISTANCE come from? Does the title have any special meaning to the band?

On the one hand is the title dedicated to all the people out there who fight for their rights or their freedom and on the other hand is a little statement for us that the band is still running with the same line-up since the first day.

The cover art-work was done by Francisco Garces / Dibujante Nocturno. What do you think of his work? Do you think it reflects the album well?

I think he did an awesome job. It fits perfect for the new album. The “Resistance” concept was very well captured in the picture.

The ballad “The Architect Of Immortality” is the last song on the album, was it given to end the album with a ballad?

Many people have said that “The Architect Of Immortality” is one of the best songs on the new album. We never had in mind to write a ballad for the album but Christian (Guitar) came up with this awesome acoustic guitar theme that is the beginning of the song and we thought “Let’s do it, let’s write a ballad”. As it was clear that the song will make it on the album it was quickly clear that it has to be the last song. I think it was the best decision for the flow of the album.

I’ve read a few reviews of the album and everyone has been really positive towards it. Congratulations. Does the band care about what media and critics have to say?

Of course it is awesome when you receive good reviews and high ratings but at the end of the day it is more important that we as a band and the fans are happy with the result. It is a nice addition if the press also likes the album but it has no impact on how new songs sound or how we write songs.

Is it any differences in how the band is treated by native and foreign media?

I think there is no main difference. Some people like us and some don’t.

Are there any plans on shooting a video to any of the songs?

The video shooting took place at the beginning of December and now we are waiting for the first version. I hope we can release the video soon. We thought “Nothing Shall Remain” would be a cool song for a video because you can shoot a lot of head banging action.

Personally I think the album is brilliant and I love the work of lead singer Keim as well as the guitarists Pfahl and Sommerfeld. Are you happy with the effort the band put into the album?

We are still very happy with the result. In a year or so we may think different but I think that’s quite normal.

In my ears are you playing guitar based heavy metal with influences of US metal like Iced Earth. How would you like to describe the music of Circle Of Silence?

On our shirts we have printed the slogan “Fucking Power Metal” that is the internal music description of the band. Compared to existing metal genres I would say we play a mix of Heavy Metal and US Power Metal. So you are not that wrong with your suggestion.

You held a release party for the album, how was the party? Did the band perform live?

The release party was absolutely awesome. We played almost every song of the new record and of course some older stuff. I think we played around 100 minutes. It was the longest show we’ve ever done.

Studio and production

You once again chose to record an album in Maranis Studio, how come you returned to that studio?

We had a good time in the Maranis studios for “The Blackened Halo” and result was awesome, so it was an easy decision to come back to record another album.

And you also worked with the same producer as last time Vagelis Maranis. What is his strongest feature as producer?

He hears everything. Every wrong tone or not so good intonation of a chord. It is insane.

Do you think that you’re going to work with him on the next album too?

We don’t have talked about a new album yet. If it is time we will decide if we come back or try something new. Let’s see.

Who mixed and mastered the album and was any member in the band part of that process?

Vagelis mixed and mastered the CD alone. After the mix we had the chance to give our input on the result and then he finished everything.

Past present and future

When you released the previous album you said that the band were going out performing during the weekends in Germany, how did that go?

We had some cool shows and I think we will continue with that concept until it is possible to make a tour with a bigger band.

Have you done any touring outside Germany and where do you have your biggest fanbase?

Unfortunately we haven’t had the option to play outside of Germany so far. It would be awesome to rock in Europe. The biggest fanbase is of course here in Germany but we receive mails and requests from all over the world.

Is your main priority Germany or are you focusing on any other European country at the moment?

It is not our purpose to focus on Germany but is our main market for the moment. But we like every fan from every country so don’t be shy and join the circle.

Are there any interest for the band in Asia or America/Canada?

Yes we have some fans in America and Asia. The first album “The Blackened Halo” was licensed for a Japan release too.

Is it possible for fans to get in touch with the band on lets say Facebook or Twitter?

We appreciate every single mail and we promise that you will get an answer until it has the amount that we can handle it. 😉

Which is the most common question you get from fans?

Most of the people are asking for autographs or asking where they can order merchandise.

Are there any plans on heading out on tour in Europe (and not in Germany :)) at the moment?

Unfortunately there are no plans at the moment for an European tour or something like that.

Is the band happy with what they have accomplished so far?

Yes we are really happy with the situation now and what we have accomplished over the years. No one ever thought that we will make it to a record deal or a booking agency when we started back in 2006. The main secret is just “Never be too satisfied with your current situation. You can make it still better”.

The band has recently begun co-operate with the booking agency Red Rock Management. Are you satisfied with the co-operation so far?

We are just at the beginning of the cooperation so ask me again on the next interview. The booking agency needs time to spread your informations and the promotion stuff to the venue and festival bookers but that’s a normal thing. I hope that we can play some smaller or bigger summer festivals this year.

What would you like to say to the ones who haven’t discovered Circle Of Silence yet?

You have definitely missed some awesome power metal so far. But seriously people, go to youtube or any other streaming site and check out our music. You won’t be disappointed if you like your metal raw but yet melodic.

Could you give three reasons why the readers should buy the excellent album THE RISE OF RESISTANCE?

1.The album contains 12 powerful songs with great melodies

2.The awesome artwork fits perfect to your music collection

3.You support 5 funny guys 😉

That was all for me and metal-rules.com now. Do you have any words of wisdom to share with the readers and fans?

Keep your eyes open for your local heroes and smaller lables. They are the lifeblood of the metal scene.

Thanks again for taking the time making this interview, I wish you and the band all the best in the future.